UHS Child Care move-in begins

An exciting step in the progress of UHS Child Care began Dec. 11 as Team UHS started moving in! Employees from across several departments volunteered their time to help the UHS Child Care team begin the process of moving into the center at 619 Main St. in Johnson City.

Well-organized and dedicated teams of employees helped itemize and unbox items, organize materials and build several items of furniture. Throughout the center you could see the UHS Value of Teamwork alive and well as everyone helped each other get ready for the early 2024 opening.

“UHS Child Care: A Foundation for a Bright Future” is the official name of the center, housed in gigantic and beautifully renovated space in a building that was an ALDI Food Market. The name builds off the UHS Foundation’s investment to fund the center’s start-up. Employees and leaders have been looking forward to a child care program for a long time, and now we are closer than ever before to this being realized.

To ensure that quality care will be provided on Day 1 and going forward, UHS is partnering with Bright Horizons, a nationally respected provider of child care services. The Bright Horizons team members are offering their expertise in guiding UHS in launching and operating the facility.

“We have a great team working on this major initiative and are extremely grateful to the UHS Foundation for their support,” said John Carrigg, president and chief executive officer of UHS. “We look forward to the grand opening of UHS Child Care in 2024.”

With a wealth of experience and a passion for early childhood education, Ms. Mecca comes to the center with an impressive background in fostering positive relationships with children, families and staff members alike.

Maureen Mecca has been named director of the center. Born and raised in Binghamton, Ms. Mecca earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Albany. Most recently she has served with the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference. With experience in child mental health, family engagement, program management and child development, she joined the Bright Horizons organization to continue her passion for serving families.

The new center will include a number of exceptional features, such as classrooms designed specifically for young children, including age-appropriate and challenging educational toys and materials, plus cozy furnishings.

Also included in the innovative design are a movement room for large-muscle activities, an active-learning and problem-solving laboratory, a library featuring dramatic play materials and books, developmentally appropriate outdoor play areas and windows positioned at a lower level so children can easily see out of them.

The center will have a strong educational component, using Bright Horizons’ curriculum, Discovery Driven Learning™, focusing on the whole child to help build a strong foundation for a successful future, Ms. Mecca noted.

Specific features will include:

• Health and wellness and social-emotional learning
• Language and literacy/thinking and learning/visual and creative arts: This curriculum teaches children how to respect the world in all of its diversity in community, character and inclusion.

“Our curriculum is what will set us apart,” Ms. Mecca said of the new center. “We take a holistic approach to learning, so that we go beyond the ABCs to focus as well on what the child is interested in.”

One day that might be numbers in the classroom, but the next day it might be plants and spiders and butterflies in the outdoors, depending on the youngsters’ interests.

The plan is for the center to start with 16 professional teachers on staff, with that number increasing to 18 in total. The teachers must come with true dedication to children and families, and will receive 40 hours of orientation and training specific to the center before starting.

“Our goal is for our curriculum to be learner-driven, and to inspire curiosity,” Ms. Mecca noted. “We want to be the premier child care program in the region.”

UHS is offering a tuition scholarship program for UHS employees, with support from the UHS Foundation, in an effort to assist families who may have a need and are interested in child care at our center.

For more information, reach out to Ms. Mecca at: maureen.mecca@brighthorizons.com.

To learn more about the center, view the latest construction photos, or register your child, click here.

Team UHS will continue helping out for the next few days. You can see pictures from the move-in below: